Tutankhamen: The Life and Death of the Boy King

When Tutankhamen's tomb was discovered in 1922, even the most experienced archaeologists joined the international community in marveling at the incredible wealth-and seemingly bizarre rituals-of ancient Egypt. What kind of society could produce such spectacular treasures only to bury them forever?

Lost in a frenzy of speculation-anthropological, scientific, and commercial-was Tutankhamen himself. Thirty-five hundred years ago, the mightiest empire on earth crowned a boy as its king, the…